What is spondylosis deformans?
Also called ankylosing spondylopathy, spondylarthrosis or vertebral osteophytosis, deforming spondylosis is a degenerative disease affecting the dog's spine.
Bone growths called "parrot beaks" or osteophytes form on the vertebrae and eventually form bony bridges between them.
The most commonly affected parts of the spine are the junctions between the thorax and the lumbar and between the lumbar and the sacrum.
What are the symptoms of the disease in dogs?
The symptoms of the disease generally appear in older animals, often when they have osteoarthritis, although early forms have already been described.
These symptoms are characterized by stiffness of gait, ankylosis (i.e. limitation of joint movement between the vertebrae), pain when bending the spine and, of course, , by a loss of motivation of the dog to move and a state of fatigue.
The condition can sometimes be associated with lameness if a bony growth compresses a nerve root.
Certain breeds of dogs are predisposed to it and this, without us being yet certain of a genetic origin of the disease. This is the case of the Boxer, the Poodle, the French Bulldog, the English Cocker Spaniel and the American Cocker Spaniel, the Airedale Terrier, the German Shepherd, the Saint-Hubert dog, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, the Dachshund, the Irish Setter , the Flat-coated Retriever and the Labrador.
Parrot beaks in dogs: how are they diagnosed?
The diagnosis of deforming spondylosis in dogs necessarily calls for imaging examinations and in particular x-rays of the spine in order to be able to visualize the osteophytes on the ventral side of the vertebrae.
The veterinarian can also use MRI or CT to rule out the hypothesis of an associated herniated disc which could be the cause of lameness or nervous disorders.
Treatment and prognosis of spondylosis deformans in dogs
Treatment of spondylosis deformans is essentially medical.
It consists of:
- the prescription of rest for the dog or at least moderate and low impact physical activity,
- in dog weight control,
- on the administration of corticosteroids and analgesics to limit pain
- as well as physiotherapy sessions.